Tech

Swagtron is almost good enough to revive the hoverboard craze

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Is it possible to reignite a fad, especially one as fully crushed as the hoverboard? Swagway is counting on it.

The company started shipping its redesigned and completely rebranded Swagtron late last month and I have been riding it for almost a week. It really is a rather different beast than the Swagway and legion of other so-called "hoverboards" we were fanatically riding just six months ago. However, the biggest difference is one you can’t see: this self-balancing rideable is built with Safety, yes, with a capital "S."

Swagway has covered the new Swagtron on branding. Note the "S" on the rim.

Image: Brittany Herbert/mashable

Why is safety so important? Because late last year, at the height of the hoverboard craze, the addictive personal transporters and their chargers began to go up in flames. Report after report came in of hoverboards catching fire. Turned out none of the hoverboards or their chargers were UL certified and, even though they were all coming from the same small set of factories in China, they were being built with alarmingly inconsistent array of safety and quality standards.

Swagway always contended that it wasn't its riders that were melting down. There was never conclusive evidence one way or the other.

Regardless, Swagway had to start over to reenter the U.S. market.

The edgier-looking Swagtron T3 is that new beginning. The company also has a new Swagtron T1, which shares many of the T3’s features, but not the edgy, new body style or advanced riding mode, but more on that later.

From the wheels to the body, to the technology inside, this is a very different Swagwa...er...Swagtron.

Swagway took a sort of brute force approach to ensuring that no other hoverboard could claim to be a Swagtron. The new device is covered with Swagtron branding, from the chrome rims to the thick, polycarbonate body and base, which has holographic Swagway stickers and that all-important holographic UL certification sticker.

That sticker means the hoverboard is built to meet UL's standards. Part of that is something Swagway call SentryShield, which is paired with Swagway's new Battery Management System (BMS). The former is actually a fireproof, aluminum cage for the battery pack, so no matter what happens to the battery, it can't cause the whole hoverboard to spontaneously burst into flames. The BMS is designed to make sure the lithium ion rechargeable never gets to the point.

Hover in again

Broadly, the Swagtron still works the same as previous hoverboards. It's still a self-balancing board, so when you turn the Swagtron on and step gingerly onto the two rubberized pads, it will balance you automatically. Leaning slightly forward makes the Swagtron go forward and leaning back makes it go back. The footpads are also larger on the T3, a design change that also adds to ride stability and comfort.

Swagway redesigned the hoverboard chassis for the Swagtron. On the right is the original Swagway. On the left is the new Swagtron.

Image: Brittany Herbert/mashable

Instead of a clean split down the middle, Swagtron is split into three parts. Both pads and wheels can move independently of each other, but they are connected to a fixed, roughly inch-and-a-half wide center that never moves. This new construction may help with increased stability – which Swagway claims – and perhaps make the Swagtron a little stronger than previous Swagways. Some people were riding the old Swagways so enthusiastically that they would jump up on down on them. Occasionally, this resulted in the hoverboards breaking right down the middle.

Swagtron features a polycarbonate body and an easy-to access power button.

Image: Brittany Herbert/mashable

The Swagtron is a bit narrower than the Swagway and the platform is a tiny bit higher. The most noticeable difference, though, is in the weight. The old Swagway weighs roughly 22 pounds, while the new Swagtron weighs almost 24 pounds. (Swagway’s paperwork insists they’re the same weight and size, but that’s simply not the case.) Fortunately, the Swagtron comes with a carrying strap on the base. Too bad that the Swagtron is too heavy to carry comfortably that way for any length of time.

Ride time

Swagway sent us the more aggressive, $499 T3 model, which, with the included app, can go up to 12 mph. The $399 T1 is set to max out at 8 miles per hour. With a full charge, the Swagtron will go up to 12 miles, though that range is also dependent on riding conditions. More hills (up to a 30-degree incline) could cut the range considerably. Swagway also added battery level indicators to the top of the Swagtron so you can look down at any time and see how much battery life is left. Rider weight limit is 220 pounds. Young riders need to weigh at least 44 pounds before stepping on.

The app (iOS and Android), by the way is nicely designed and easy to navigate. Most time will be spent in the speedometer interface. Once you connect the Swagtron to your smartphone via Bluetooth, you can then see, in real time, your riding speed and the Swagtron's battery life. There’s also a virtual power button, but that only puts the Swagtron to sleep – you still have to use the physical button on the device to turn it fully off. There’s also a blue dot next to the speedometer that offers a clear readout of current speed, battery life, number of miles traveled, trip distance and battery temperature (most of the time mine was at 75-degrees F).

Other app features include naming your Swagtron and choosing your riding mode: learning, standard and advanced.

Learning keeps speed at 4 miles per hour max and slows down turning and acceleration. Standard lets you go up to 6 miles per hour and get quicker response on turns and speed. I rode most of the time in advanced (8 mph or more). When I chose that selection, I saw a pretty dire warning: “Extremely high injury risk. Not recommended for average users.” The T1 does not offer the advanced riding mode.

The Swagtron has battery level lights and status lights.

Image: Brittany Herbert/mashable

Whatever mode you choose, the ride itself feels pretty smooth. Swagtron operates quietly, but it does feel different than riding the Swagway. The new motors have a more controlled and rougher feel. It’s not unpleasant, just different. The larger pads underneath your feet feel different, too. More comfortable and more responsive.

A new trick

Now that the Swagtron is connected to your phone, you can add another wrinkle to the hoverboard-riding experience: music.

The Swagtron automatically taps into your music library, and whatever you play while riding will pump out of the downward-facing Bluetooth speakers in the base. They’re loud and provide pretty decent sound. And it’s fun to ride around with your own soundtrack.

The new Swagway app lets you track speed, distance traveled, battery life and more.

Image: Brittany Herbert/mashable

Swagway has done an excellent job reinventing the hoverboard. It looks sharp, rides smooth and is quiet and fun to use. I am, though, a bit spoiled by the Ninebot Swagway miniPRO, which I recently tested. It’s larger, steadier and actually seems designed for the morning commute. Yes, it’s more expensive – $999 – but I found that I like having the column in the middle, and steering with my knees is just as intuitive as steering with my feet.

But let’s put aside my personal preferences for a minute. Can the Swagtron revive the hoverboard craze? The latest Swagway self-balancing board is still affordable and now it’s built better, Safer and with a bit of musical whimsy. The problem is, people have moved on. No one is making music videos staring hoverboards anymore. Local governments have banned them from streets and businesses have kicked the out of their offices.

As good as the Swagtron is, I’m not sure anyone cares anymore. Do you?

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